Topic: Dragons Dogma 2

@ApostateMage it really does. Apart from the standard repeated lines, I really enjoy when the pawns just start talking amongst themselves in all their different accents. It's very wholesome. And then when they pop "I'll have to tell my master about this" you know you've added to someone else's game through your gameplay.

And I literally just got lost in the game for a few hours too. I found gregor to advance the main journey earlier and went on the ox cart, knowing I'd be exploring like mad once I'd unlocked got a new base of operations and checked out the city. But I spent a bunch lile a proper tourist, so I was down to under 1000g, and then just went off to find quests to pay for my next Inn stay 😆 I got one such quest, which amounted to clearing a cave of goblins, but there was also another quest tied to the location for the guild, and that gave me a chance to loot like crazy as well (springboard loot chests ftw 😂😂)

This new pawn, Anne, may have died when I first tried this, and I had to fight my way to the bottom of the cave to revive her. And then I worked out how to aim springboard moves 😅 but on the way back here I looted some new trousers and gifted them to her for the effort.

And as it took a bunch of exploring to get here, I then thought, right it is time to head back to the city quickly and save for the night as I had other plans. But then 2 hours later I eventually got back to the city after going on another mad organic adventure with zero quest markers or anything guiding my game other than stuff happening 😁😁 woops 😅

It's one of those games, it really is.

I am about 9 hours in I think - firstly, I never usually play games in one sitting like that. It is almost 2am here and I have prised myself away to go to bed. At first, I was a little nervous I wouldn't like this. The world can be brutal. Encumbrance is somehow more annoying than usual in this game due to how travelling around the world works. And if you aren't constantly resting at camps and having meals, you are basically playing on hard mode.

However, I switched to the Warrior vocation, which basically works like the Greatsword did in Monster Hunter. Massive two handed sword, charge attacks, tank huge amounts of damage while charging? Okay, now we are cooking with gas. I found a Pawn who can apply elements to my weapon and I also got my own Pawn a skill that instantly heals me. So it is, run in - start charging, wait for Maximajillion to set my blade on fire, release the charge and twirl around as a burning beyblade of death, either toppling over the giant foes or sending the smaller ones flying. I happen to actually take any damage? Boop, Song tops me up. There is even this insane leap into the air move too so now harpies can get in the bin too.

I love how dynamic this world is too. Such emergent gameplay with the way Pawns travel around, but so do enemies, so you can engage a giant and suddenly it is like a 30 man skirmish all clashing right there on the spot. Everything is pure chaos too with people clambering on monsters, the ability to shove them over or throw them. All the various spells and abilities. Glorious stuff.

Anyone fought a golem on a cliff yet? 😅😅 now that is some perilous action as you have to jump around to climb on its weak spots! One pawn got thrown 200m to their death, but I managed to fell the damn thing 😵

Edit: And now a Pro tip... Don't take an ox cart if you don't know where it's actually going 😂 I'm still only on the first actual sovren quest, and I thought, oh this will take me somewhere closer, as a rented pawn said it might be wise to use the cart for this quest... let's just say i'm glad it got stopped by ogres so I didn't end up at its final destination 100s of miles away 😁

So now I'm on an adventure with Tim Roth just to get back to the right location and go to this third monster hunt or whatever 😅😅

Also... don't camp in Griffin nests 😁

In a really cool, organic, chain of events of a like really only BOTW / TOTK also managed to do, I found the person who allows you to become a Mystic Spearhand I am kinda surprised by how unceremonious actually getting the Vocation is. Like every step up until meeting the person who gives it is epic, but I kinda thought it would be a quest or something of its own, but you just unlock it instantly for basically just saying hello to the right person.

However, then that is sorta like DD2s entire design. The beginning and end of everything is the bare minimum, it is everything in between where the magic happens. Have to say though I was a little disappointed, I dunno why but I kinda thought this would work like the Insect Glaive in Monster Hunter. Instead, it is more like a Jedi. Which I am sure sounds really cool, but the fact that dodging and blocking is class specific, I dunno, I just found this really awkward to play. Like you are meant to use your magic to lockdown enemies first I think, and then attack with your weapon, but with the lack of a lock on and the way enemies move, and how easily you can be interrupted, staggered, knocked over etc I just didn't find this as fun as it seemed on paper,

I then however found the Nameless Village. Which gives you two unique abilities for the Thief class and oh man, I am in love again. I enjoyed Warrior a lot because of the power fantasy aspect and the feedback from the attacks. After feeling weirdly fragile even with the shield in my hands, the Warrior being able to tank so much damage while charging and then sending enemies flying was magic. However, it wasn't exactly the most exciting playstyle since you are just kinda standing there charging but the Thief has so much versatility, active emergent abilities and the only class so far I have found with a dodge. Complete with these two special abilities, I am in heaven.

My pawns voice is terrible. Ill need to find that item to change it. Loving the game so far though. Very early

@Pizzamorg I don't get the changing vocations thing, yet. I've put everything in to fighter, all my gear and weapons etc. I took warrior after the quest, and instantly removed it before even trying it out as I hated the way it looked, and I keep spending my money so csnt be bothered farming to try to make a warrior build viable 😅

I know thief is probably the most fun style as you can flip around wailing on things and running all over the place like I'm DDDA as strider, but I'm so locked in to fighter I don't know how I'm going to try any others 😵

Fighter definitely gets more fun as you unlock different moves though 😁

I had my first combat encounter with a Golem that I randomly run into. It was glorious. I'm going to put a stupid amount of time into this game just like I did the first one.

Oh my good lord 😵😵😵 I just fought a Griffin out in the open (which i've been mostly avoiding, apart from landing some hits and watching them fly away) I was just on my way back to the city after clearing the third monster den, and i ran at this Griffin because why not....

But the fight evolved, somewhat. (Now this isn't a story spoiler, it is just some mad emergent gameplay moments that led to a random trophy. So it's safe if you don't mind hearing about how combat can evolve mid fight lol.

Phewwwww. This game 😆

Edit: praise ferry stones. I very much needed that escape 😅

How the day started...

How the night ended...

😅

@Ravix I had my first experience with one of the big daddy gryphon yesterday. Was just minding my own business nodding off on a cart, when I woke up to an ogre flipping it over. A challenge in and of itself, but then suddenly it was a full battle royal, goblins, wolves, those lizard men they were all getting involved and pawns and NPCs on the road were all running in to help as well, so we were having this massive skirmish which on its own was epic and heaps of fun.

Then I hear this almighty sound and I am like... wtf is that, look up and this giant Gryphon just descends upon us, swooping through the middle of the battle sending all manner of monster and person flying alike. It has like five balls under its health bar so I am like... oh my God.

Before I knew it, we are having this full on Monster Hunter style battle with this Gryphon, like six guys hanging off of it as it is trying to take off. And the whole while on the ground, this ogre is still running wild, the cart is in pieces, the Pawns are fighting all the other monsters that joined in.

I just had to step back from the moment and be in awe that the game is able to create these epic, emergent moments, which aren't scripted but feel more epic than actual set piece moments in other games.

@Pizzamorg it's absolutely f***ing crazy, is what it is 😁😁😁

Genuinely can't believe people are jumping on the hate wagon for this game, it is unlike anything I've played before, but with huge pinches of stuff from games I love too.

My Gryphon encounter left me so shook I ended up just casually looking for simple side quests in the city just for a bit of calm for my next little session too, and there is a few of those availablr, which is a nice balance to the madness.

But the thing is, one simple "trail this guy" quest, has led me to the slums, and there a fetch quest, which then led to a few others and going back led to another simple fetch quest that has has now turned into a big slum conspiracy that has me travelling across the map to seek advice from another NPC, which is just fantastic quest evolution. The only thing is, as I arrive in the new area everyone is like "Arisen, you must help ME now" haha. And I'm now on a timed quest to save a kid, when I just wanted to speak to one NPC and head back to the city 😅 the adventure has a way of unfolding in so many unique ways.

I'm not even trying to pick up too many quests atm, and my next main goal was to do point two of the Brandt quest, as he just sits there lonely at the bar every night while I'm ignoring my Sovren duties.

I'd say some of the quest timers and "lack of markers" are a bit easier than some games too, as it actually tells you which quests have a timer going, and places some markers down a bit early imo, which is very forgiving. When I'm used to things like KCD withholding all information and hiding things that you wouldn't logically be aware of unless you hear or witness them 😅

If I end up just adventuring from this point I'm at, and Brandt keeps just sitting there I might just end up going back to Melve and giving some flowers to Ulrika to see what happens,
maybe look to settle down instead of doing the main quest line 😅

@Ravix the lack of quest markers became a non issue for me once I realised the Pawns know where things are.

I had a quest where someone ran from a village and had to find them. There was absolutely no direction given for this at all, and I probably would have never finished this if that was how it ended. I talked to a bunch of people in the place they ran away from and no one offered me anything, so I figured if I stumbled upon them later on, that is fine, but I am not going to trawl across the entire map aimlessly trying to find this person. Maybe some people like that stuff, however, that is not the kind of gamer I am.

However, then one of the Pawns I picked up said something like 'Oh my master beyond the rift already found them, let me show you the way'. And they literally lead me from like one side of the map to the other, revealing shortcuts across the map in the process, to where this person was.

I just think that is such an incredibly cool system, because it finds a middle ground that is good for everyone, I think. If you want a completely aimless, unguided, experience, Dragons Dogma 2 can be that for you. But if you like a more Ubisoft style of open world, well okay it isn't quite that, but if you listen and follow your Pawns, this can be as guided of an experience as any more mainstream open world game, there just won't be a big marker on the map waiting for you.

After capping out Archer I switched to Thief and it's amazing. I absolutely destroyed a Griffin with the fire blade skill lol.

I've realised my meta.

Fighter by day. Mystic Spearhand by night.

Because spearhand attacks with magic it absolutely smashes ghouls, skellies, and even some skellyghoul 3/4 health bar boss I found at a graveyard

So even though I was just testing it out, it seems incredibly accomplished teamed up with Tim Roth spamming big holy balls of light. It is such a perfect style for exploring at night if anyone wants to try it out. Or if anyone has been avoiding night trips into the wild.

Just need to hoard some new gear as it's a bit cobbled together right now. The Dual Blade 'Dead Ringer' seems pretty powerful though

Nice to see you all discovering the beauty of the pawn system. I just really love it when games have innovative asynchronous multiplayer aspects. With DD1 I really enjoyed contributing to the online community through my pawn and also using pawns from other players to help me. It’s really cool when you log back on and find out your pawn has been off adventuring with another player. I can only imagine the pawn system works ever better with the sequel.

Fun to read everyone’s experiences. I’ll be coming along later. Just need to clear some other games.

With delvopers ripping off each other left and right you would think someone else would have "borrowed" the pawn system.

@Th3solution @Splat yeah, it is a cool system. I think it's also very specific to this game, and now I understand why it isn't an actual co-op, despite seeming made for it. The lore. Pawns are obedient, but random people joining from an online session would need some sort of host tethering system where they can't just run off and be 100 miles away on the other side of the map 😅 and some sort of restrictions on that they can do. For example, if the host presses left d pad, they have to go and heal them and not just ignore it or they get some kind of negative performance review.

For friends on the same page it'd be fun, though. And maybe they could do a spin off if they find good success with this Reboot that tweaks one world's lore to allow a little more free form play with co-op.

And like you say, when you get a good review it feels like you've noticeably helped someone on their quest. So I was happy to have gotten a few when I logged on today.

I'm constantly thinking are my pawn skills optimal for others, but then also thinking, for me it works really well, despite not being some super common meta build. He's just a mage that can heal full instant health and take away status effects when called for with dpad left, and rotates Ice, Lighting and Holy attacks based on what I need at the time, and gives me flaming weapon buffs. And for the voice I just chose whichever was the cockney, I don't even know which personality trait thing that is or if it is optimal for a mage 😆

It's also funny when they return and kind of b**** about their hosts "ooooh, Arisen. Not all I travel with are like you" which makes me think they have been in a world where players are getting arrested and murdering at will 😅

I hired a warrior pawn with a Welsh accent. He was a cocky sod and kept wanting to rest all the time but once when I was pondering how to get to a high treasure chest, he said he knew how to get it and then gave me a bunk up off his shield. Loved him forever then, enough to keep on re-hiring him to keep his level up.

I have been playing as a thief all day and I love it. Dodge is an absolute game changer. The class is actually kinda OP if I'm being honest. It's really fun though.

@Splat - just wait until you unlock the auto dodge